The Ju Yong Guan () section of the Great Wall is one of the most important sections of the entire Great Wall because it served as a key passageway between Beijing and the northern regions (todays Mongolia). In this area, there are two mountain passes located both to the north and the south. The northern pass, now called Badaling, is currently a heavily commercialized tourist area so we will visit the southern pass.

The history of the Great Wall itself does not have a clear beginning. As early as the 7th century BC, there have been various walls and fortifications in this area that were the earliest components of the Great Wall. The idea of the Great Wall, however, did not arise until the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, put forth the idea during his reign (221-207 BC). The Great Wall was completed during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In the Qing dynasty(1644-1912), upkeep on The Great Wall was neglected and many sections fell into disrepair. What we see today at Ju Yong Guan was renovated from 2000-2002.

Ju Yong Guan has many interesting features, foremost among them is the Yuntai Cloud Platform. Located in the middle of the mountain pass, this platform contains an ancient archway through which people could pass through the defenses of the Great Wall. Constructed out of white marble and bearing balustrades and a watch post, this platform exemplifies the architecture of the Yuan dynasty. During the Yuan dynasty, there were 3 pagodas located on top of the platform, but none of them have survived to the present day. The only remaining religious element is found inside of the passageway. Found within the passageway are life-size carvings of Buddhist figures and also carvings of Buddhist texts in six different languages (Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongolian, Old Uighur, Tangut, Chinese). This is an important resource for researchers of Buddhism in China, as well as researchers of Chinas ancient languages.

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